Paladin of the Peaceful Lady

Chapter Seventeen A Long Night

Daria was in shock. She knew she was, but did knowing somehow mitigate the effect of being in shock? She didn't know. All she knew was that she had to be brave for Mathew. She was holding him against her, in their own cramped uncomfortable corner of the cage on the wagon. They were in the cage with several of their neighbors, mostly children like themselves. Mathew was the oldest boy, and he had tried to set a brave example for the other boys around them like he knew his father would. Once the wagon had come to a stop for the night however he had sobbed into Daria's chest until he had finally fallen asleep.

It was when they stopped the real horrors began. The small caravan had followed the old track past their back pasture winding deeper into the hills and forest where there were no other farms or people. Neither Mathew or Daria had traveled this far on the road, Drake deeming the deep forest too dangerous to bring them. In a small clearing that they reached just before dark, the men had circled the wagons and set up a camp. There was a group already there, with their own captives and riches to brag about. Others trickled in as the night wore on, this was the obvious meeting place for the raiders.

"Whoever is not here by daybreak will be assumed to be dead and left behind." She had heard Lord Inje say. He had given a speech much like the one at the farm. Stroking the egos of his men and promising them good prices at market for their commodities of flesh. After a hasty meal of dried meat and letting the captives out one at a time to relieve themselves, Lord Inje allowed them to pick out two women for that evenings entertainments.

Just two. The camp held maybe sixty men, with more trickling in. Daria had tried to shelter Mathew from the poor girls screams and feeble attempts to ward off the attackers. Eventually the screaming had stopped, but the laughs and jokes of the men didn't as they continued to each take a turn.

Daria tried not to think about what was happening around her in the camp and instead tried to focus on the interior of the cage. There was herself and Mathew, the Granger twins, girls of about fourteen she wasn't certain, Devin a boy of eight, and Alyssa a girl about five. Daria had tried to hush the younger children and tell them that they would be rescued. Anytime they got too loud a guard would rattle the bars harshly. Daria had seen them take people out and beat them from the other wagons if they were too loud, so her main goal was to try to prevent that in her wagon.

Since she couldn't sleep she tried to make sense of the day that had started to pleasant and ended as a nightmare. Her father would come for her, she knew that. But she wasn't so senseless to think it would be soon. She knew that her mother, Jack and Jocelyn would need to be taken to town first. Likely to the Miller's, they had the room and Julia at least tolerated Greenie, the town wouldn't.

Likely Father waited till nightfall then snuck in and cut mother down, She thought to herself, that would be the smart thing to do. Then they would go back and Da would leave them all with Julia and Arnold. She blushed even though she was the only one awake in the cage. Then I bet Jacob will beg Da to let him join in rescuing me. She smiled at the thought. Da will have to let him, they will track us coming fast, either tomorrow night or the night after. They will wait then sneak in at night, Da was always good at night. They will open the cage and Jacob will carry me out into the woods where we will run until we are certain no one pursues us. Da will be so impressed he will have to let us marry next summer! We will all be back home in a week!

Daria nodded and smiled to herself in the dark, convinced of her own story.

Just then a man came to the back of the wagon, half holding up one of the girls that had been chosen earlier. The cage was opened and the girl half thrown into it with the rest of them. The girl collapsed on the floorboards sobbing.

In the dim light Daria couldn't make out much, but she heard a gasp from Mathew who had woken up at the disturbance. "It's Marion!" He said looking at Daria. She turned back to the sobbing girl, yes she could see it now. Mathew and Jacks eyes had always been much better than her own in the dark.